Waking
by the-mysterious-other
Summary: After returning from the mysterious cave, Runt begins to suffer horrible nightmares. The most terrifying part, when he wakes up, whatever happened to him in the dream has happened to him in real life. Now, he has to find a cure, before his luck runs out.
1. Bad Dreams

**Hello again. Sorry this took so long, I've been pretty busy. I'm gonna try to make my updates more regular. Any way. Here is my second story. Enjoy!**

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There were no stars or a moon. No noises rose from the forest. The only sound Runt could hear was the blood roaring through his ears. Even the sound of his paws striking the earth as he ran was absent.

Runt didn't remember how he had gotten to this point. All he knew was that he was here, in the middle of the forest, with something after him. And that something was gaining.

He didn't know where he was. There were no discernible landmarks, just dead trees whose bare branches seemed to lean down and reach for him. The ground beneath him was bare and cold. Wherever this was, it wasn't Jasper Park.

His sides were cramping and his legs were on fire as he sprinted through the wasted forest. He felt light headed and like his lungs were about to explode. He couldn't keep it up much longer. And, when he collapsed, that thing behind him would be on him in a second.

_Have to keep moving!_ He told himself, _What would your siblings think if they saw you here?_ Unfortunately, that didn't motivate him like he hoped it would.

Suddenly, his survival instinct went into overdrive. He felt a new surge of adrenalin course through him. He could feel each jarring impact as his legs struck the ground. He could feel his pursuer getting further away.

_I'm gonna li-_

His celebration was cut short as his paw got stuck on a root sticking up from the ground. He felt a jarring pain in it as his leg was ripped out from under him. He tumbled forward several more feet before sliding to a halt. Before he could get up, he was surrounded.

Runt couldn't make out what his pursuer was. All he could tell was that there was more than one. They flashed past his field of vision so quickly he could barely make out a shape. Another darted in front of him from the other direction. He caught movement in his peripheral vision and spun around only to be greeted with another blur.

He was surrounded by them, whatever they were. They were too quick for him to escape their circle. There was no way out.

Runt felt the reality of the situation sink in. He had expected a gloomy despair to set in with the realization. However, all he felt was a new terror coursing through him. It felt like his heart might stop at any moment.

Suddenly, one of the creatures stepped into view. Even in the dark, Runt could make out the form. It was taller than a wolf and unnervingly thin. It made its way towards closer to him, glowing yellow eyes locked on him. It began to raise one of its spindly legs. Attached to its deformed paw was a set of blade like claws.

Runt stared at them silently, unable to move. The creature thrust its raised leg forward. Acting by pure instinct, Runt raised a leg to defend himself. He felt the claws rip through his skin. Pain shot through his leg as he let out a yelp.

That was when he woke up.

He was in his family's den, sleeping on his bed. There was no dead forest and no ethereal monsters. He let out a sigh of relief.

He figured that the nightmare was just a result of his being kidnapped by a deranged wolf two days before. He and his siblings were still shaken up over the ordeal with Nick. Which had been traumatizing, even for them.

Runt was having a harder time putting the mysterious cave behind him than his siblings. He could still feel the strange liquid erupting form the cave wall and coating him. He shuddered at the thought. However, he hadn't dissolved or dropped dead yet. He was even starting to get over it.

Runt repositioned himself and relaxed again, resting his head on his foreleg. He felt a sharp pain in his leg as he touched it and shot up. In the soft light cast by the moon into the cave, Runt saw three claw marks running across his legs, oozing blood.

He swallowed hard. There was no way he was going to sleep again that night.

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**AN: Poor Runt, he just can't catch a break. I don't know why, but I enjoy writing about nightmares. I'm really looking forward to this story. I hope you all are too!**


	2. The Morning After

**AN: Sorry for the wait folks. School is a killer. Anyway, just so you know, my stories will probably alternate between focusing on the pups and Humphrey and Kate. Guess which one this is!**

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Runt groaned inwardly as he made his way to a small creek to wash out the strange cut on his leg. He was exhausted after spending the remainder of the night trying to figure out how he had received the strange wound.

"Whatcha up to?" a voice called from behind him.

Runt sighed. "Hey Stinky, just… uh… getting a drink."

His brother wasn't convinced. There was something off about Runt. He had left the den as soon as he could and had been acting strangely the whole time he was in there.

Runt tried to turn and leave but Stinky followed him. He didn't want to explain how he had gotten the gash on his leg. Especially since he didn't know.

"Really, I'm just going to get a drink, I don't need you following me!"

"If you tell me the truth, I won't," Stinky replied.

"That sort of defeats the whole propose of this!" Runt snapped.

"So you are lying!" Stinky shouted triumphantly, "Why?"

Realizing he had no alternative, Runt turned around and showed him the claw marks.

"Where'd you get those?" he asked.

Runt took a deep breath. He could create an elaborate lie, but he was just too tired to try. "That's the weird thing, in my sleep."

"So, you scratched yourself in your sleep?"

"No. I don't think so." Runt looked at the marks on his leg. They were far too spaced to be made by a pup's paws.

"Then how?" Stinky was starting to get concerned.

"I had this weird dream," Runt began, "In the end this thing scratched me and I woke up. I thought that was the end of until I saw these." He gestured to his leg.

Stinky looked at him. He knew Runt wouldn't hurt himself just to back up a lie. And he had no idea why he would come up with this story. Runt had to be telling the truth, or what he thought was true.

"That's weird," he finally replied. "Should we tell someone about it?"

Runt shook his head. "Not yet. It might've been some weird accident. I'm not going to go around yelling that my dreams are trying to kill yet."

Stinky had managed to give Claudette a good reason for why Runt wasn't around. Runt had no idea what he said and he didn't care. He had found a comfortable patch of grass in the sun and was planning on catching up on the sleep he had missed. The pup curled up in the sunlight and let the exhaustion wash over him and carry him back out and into sleep.

A silver-furred she wolf stared at the small pup as he slept. She knew what was coming next. She swallowed a sense of guilt. It was Nick's fault. He had taken the pups in there. He was the reason this one would die.

She had contemplated saving him, she had the cure. However, she decided that, if the pup lived, it would only spark more interest in the cave. She couldn't let that happen. She had to hope that his death would thoroughly scare everyone away from it. Then, it would be worth it.

* * *

Runt fought against whatever it was that was pulling him down. His paws slapped against the surface of the murky water as he tried to reach the shore. The shadowy force began to pull harder on the poor pup. Water splashed into his face each time he brought a paw down. It became harder and harder to stay above the surface. His head would often dip and, if he was breathing, let a stream of water into his lungs.

Between the coughing, gagging, and panting, he was unable to call for help. His chest was burning and he could feel each centimeter of his decent.

Somehow, this seemed familiar to him. Like something like this had happened to him before. He was in too much of a panic to try to remember anything. He didn't want to die. He had his whole life ahead of him. He couldn't just die.

Suddenly, the mysterious force weakened. It was still a struggle, but Runt managed to swim to the edge of the water. His paws almost slipped on a wet rock, but he got a good enough grip to pull half his body out of the water. The force was still pulling on him again and it required a good deal of strength to break free from it.

Runt looked up at the world around him. All he could see was darkness. That was, until the wolf stepped out. He was barely visible but still noticeable. He walked slowly and calmly toward the struggling pup.

"H-help," Runt managed to choke out.

The wolf stopped and sat down in front of the pool. He gave Runt a blank expression, the shadows covering most of his face. He lifted a paw and began to move it towards Runt.

The pup felt a rush of relief as the paw drew closer. The mysterious tug was beginning to grow stronger again. This was his last chance.

The wolf suddenly brought his leg down right onto Runts muzzle. He felt a searing pain shoot off from his nose. He released his timid hold on the rock and was about to be pulled back down into the depths when he suddenly found himself on his back in a patch of grass.  
His paws instantly shot to his nose where he felt a steady stream of blood springing from it. He looked at the crimson on his paw and swallowed. It wasn't just a one-off thing, his dreams were trying to kill him.

He needed advice. Someone who might know what was happening to him and wouldn't freak out. He couldn't risk his parents getting all overprotective, that wouldn't help. Which only left one wolf, Daria.

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**I'm really enjoying writing this story. I hope you are enjoying reading it. Reviews are always welcome. I'll try to update again soon.**


	3. Night Two

**AN: Hello everyone, sorry for the delay. Here is the next chapter. I hope to post the final too soon. Enjoy!**

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**Night Two**

"Runt, what a surprise!" Daria exclaimed as the pup entered the clearing she was lying in.

It had taken a couple of days before Runt realized she always knew who was coming and from where. Her other senses were extremely acute. Sometimes though, Runt swore she had some extra senses too.

"You're bleeding," she said suddenly, picking up the dried blood on his muzzle.

"Yeah, I had an… accident," he replied unconvincingly.

"Are you ok Runt? You seem, off?" She turned to face him, fixing her milky white eyes on him. Once she had pinpointed where his eyes were, she preferred to look at him there.

The pup took a deep breath. "Daria, have you ever heard of dreams that could actually hurt you? In the real world I mean."

The wolf looked surprised. She seemed to ponder it for a moment.

"Well…" She began hesitantly, "There is the whole mind-over-matter thing…"

"What's that?" the pup asked.

"Well…" Daria began, "Some believe that your mind has control over the matter around it, hints the name. Now, there are those that believe that this range of influence is much larger than oneself. Most, however, think of it more as the control of the body. It's like being able to control your entire body with your mind. More so than you already do."

"Like, controlling when you have to go to the bathroom?"

Daria snickered at Runt. "That, among other things. But, if that nightmare was very realistic, and you got hurt in it. Your brain might be so convinced the body was hurt, that it would actually make the wound appear."

"So, if you were scratched in a dream like that…" Runt began.

"…Your brain would rip open that skin in the same pattern. But the brain doesn't usually work that way. If it was possible, it must not be something natural. Something would have to cause it." Daria suddenly got worried. "Why are you asking about this?"

It was true that this conversation differed from their usual ones. Daria had always been able to see through Runt. Figuratively of course. He didn't want to tell her about the cave but knew she would fish it out of him eventually. So, he had decided to avoid her.

"Fringe science unit in Omega school," Runt replied, lying through his teeth. Though, that would be pretty cool. He would have to talk to his aunt about that.

"Alright," Daria replied. She knew he was lying but decided to let it pass. She could feel the tension in his small body. Something was wrong.

"So, um, one last thing," Runt began, "What could cause that?"

"I don't have the slightest idea," she replied.

* * *

That night, Runt was laying awake, thinking about what Daria had said. She was the smartest wolf he knew, and she was stumped.

He felt his exhaustion creep in around him again, luring him off into sleep. It was so hard to fight. But with sleep came dreams, and his dreams seemed bent to kill him. This time, the monsters may move faster, or the thing in the water might succeed in pulling him down.

As he hovered on the brink of unconsciousness, his mind kept turning back toward the cave. This had started after Nick had dragged the pups down there. After he had gotten soaked in that strange liquid.

_That's it_, he thought suddenly, rising back to clarity, _Whatever was in that cave, it did this to me. I have to go back, find out what it was! There might be a cure!_

Suddenly, the crushing weight came down on his eyelids again. This time, he couldn't fight it.

_Tomorrow._

It was dark and damp. The soil around him was clinging to his fur. Runt looked up but could not tell the difference between the black sky and his soon to be grave. He heard the shuffling of the being above him as it gathered enough dirt to close him in. Runt took as deep a breath as he could but the weight of the earth sitting on him opposed it. In the end, with only a shallow breath in his lungs, Runt was covered by the earth. In the darkness of his grave, it didn't seem too different from the world above him.

Runt tried to move. He wanted to fight, to dig his way back up to fresh air. However, he couldn't fight the growing pressure as more and more dirt was piled onto him. He soon found himself paralyzed by the dirt.

He held on to that one breath as long as he could. The weight of the earth seemed unimaginable as it pressed down on his chest, trying to persuade him to sacrifice that last bit of life. The second he opened his mouth, it would fill with dirt. He'd suffocate in the dark and no one would ever know where he was. He'd die alone in the crushing darkness and deafening silence.

His lungs were burning and his head was getting light. Flashes of color erupted behind his closed eyelids. He fought every instinct that told him to breath. Either way, he'd die. He just hoped to pass out first so he wouldn't feel it.

Then, in that crushing darkness, a voice cut through the silence. It floated in softly but still cut like a knife through the earth around him. It came again and again, getting louder and louder. The earth itself seemed to shake as it called.

_Runt,_

_ Runt._

"Runt!"

"Wake Up!"

Runt opened his eyes and gasped for air. Each breath supplied him with dose of cool night air to sooth his burning lungs. His tightly wound muscles relaxed as he recognized the familiar walls of his family's den.

"Runt, are you alright?" Stinky asked. He had been trying to wake him for several minutes. When saying his name had failed, he had to shake his brother awake.

"Yeah," Runt managed between gasps. "Why?"

"I remembered what you said about your dream the other night. I was worried that it would happen again. When I woke up I checked on you. You were squirming around and holding your breath so I woke you up."

"T-thanks," Runt replied, "listen, I need you to cover for me tomorrow."

"What do you mean?"

Runt took a deep breath. "I need to go back to that cave."

In the darkness of the den, Runt could see his brother's eyes grow wide.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No." Runt knew he had to tell someone about what had happened, he had just hoped it wouldn't be Stinky. "When Nick took us there, he had us check for booby traps, right?"

"Yeah, but we didn't find any," Stinky replied.

"Actually, I think I did. My paw sank into the wall and I was squirted with some weird liquid. It's the only thing I can think of that could possibly explain why my dreams are trying to kill me."

"And your solution is to go back to the cave that can make your dreams try to kill you?" Stinky asked. He wasn't convinced.

Runt took a deep breath. His relationship with his brother had always been up and down. There were days they got along just fine, and days they could barley tell they were related. He just hoped this day was one of the former.

"Listen, I just need you to trust me. Please. If there's nothing there, I'll come right back. Ok?"

Stinky sat quietly for a minute. He didn't want his brother to die, he just couldn't tell if that meant keeping him in the cave or letting him go.

"Fine," Stinky sighed, "But be back by noon. And keep my name out of this."

Runt smiled. "I'll leave first thing in the morning."

Stinky nodded and went back to his bed.

Runt did the same, but had no intention of sleeping, again.

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**AN: I'm really enjoying exploring Stinky and Runt's relationship. I always felt like the movies could have expanded on those parts more, there's a lot of potential. I hope to update soon. Leave a review.**


	4. Awake

**AN:**** Sorry about the wait. This story is almost done. I have the last chapter written already and will be posting it soon. I'm already well into the next one. Enjoy!**

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Runt ran as quickly as his short legs could carry, which was surprisingly fast. He suppressed all of the unpleasant memories of the last time he was out this way. He had to make it to the cave. It had all of the answers, didn't it?

After the adrenaline had worn off the night before, he had again found himself fighting to stay awake. Finally, he had gotten up and walked around the forest, hoping that the exercise would keep him alert. He managed to pass the night and, as morning neared, his nerves began to take over.

He left before dawn and prayed that Stinky could come up with a good cover story. However, by this point, he didn't really care if he got ground when he got back, he just wanted to be able to sleep in peace. In fact, he could do that very well if he was grounded.

"Where do you think you're going little one?"

Runt stopped as he heard the strange voice. "Hello?" he called back.

A wolf emerged from a nearby bush. She was beautiful and about the age his parents were when they first got together. Her fur was gray but looked almost silver. Bright yellow eyes stared down at him.

"Um," Runt muttered, caught off guard.

"I don't think a pup like you should be this far out, should he?" She continued.

Runt noticed something about her. It was a darkness in her eyes and the way she held herself. Something was off. The way she spoke seemed forced and, beneath the gentle voice, lay a sinister tone. She suddenly seemed older, like she was an older wolf wearing a younger one's pelt.

The wolf saw the realization in his eyes. She knew her plan had failed. It was time for plan B.

"Oh, little wolf," she began calmly, "you just couldn't stay away. This is all Nick's fault. He brought you to the cave the first time. He caused all of this."

"How do you know about the cave?" Runt asked, "And what's so important about it."

"The cave?" the she-wolf smiled, "The cave isn't important, it's who lives below the cave."

"Who lives below the cave?" Runt had tensed up and was ready to spring away the moment she grew tired of answering his questions.

"Something beyond the comprehension of a little wolf like you. Something ancient and wonderful, and something that must never walk the Earth again." The wolf's eyes grew hard, a viciousness filled them. Her voice was still deceptively sweet. "I really am sorry about this. You're gonna die anyway."

Runt expected to feel some form of panic, but, after his dreams, he was tired of it. He instead felt a coolness rise up in him. His emotions seemed to melt away, leaving behind only a dull annoyance. He looked up at her with a blank expression.

"No," he replied calmly.

The she-wolf laughed. "You think you can just say no?"

"No," he said again, "But I can do something about it."

The wolf lowered her head to his level and moved so close her nose was almost touching his. She barred her teeth and growled, "And what's that?"

Runt shot his paw forward, aiming for her eye. Had he had the paw-eye coordination of his siblings, he may have hit it. Instead, his claws struck right above it.

The she-wolf yelped in pain and jumped back. She put a paw to her face and brought it away to see a small amount of blood on it. The scratch was small but stung.

_Who knows when the last time the mutt washed his paws was, _she thought angrily, _Imagine what diseases I'll have now!_

She looked back at the pup, her lips drawn back in a snarl. Her mouth relaxed and her jaw dropped. The pup was gone.

The wolf reached back up and gingerly touched the mark on her forehead. She had felt sorry for the pup and regretted having to kill him. He was just a normal wolf caught up in things he couldn't possibly comprehend. Now, for some reason, she sensed different. He was no average wolf, none of the wolves in Jasper were. They may even be a threat.

The she wolf knew it would be a waste of energy to try to catch the pup. Even if he did make it to the cave, nothing would happen. Sooner or later his dreams would kill them. There was no cure. At least, not one he would get.

And that didn't bother her at all.

* * *

"Stinky, Claudette, where's Runt?"

Claudette gave Stinky a rather confused look. She had no idea where he was.

Stinky took a deep breath before telling the best story he had. "Runt went to…" his voice dropped off. The story didn't seem to fit anymore.

He felt his family's stares boring in to him. This wasn't working so well.

"Well," he began hesitantly, hating himself, "you see…"

The female wolf stared at her reflection in a small pond, inspecting the damage done by the pup. She stared at her pretty, young face and found herself lost in a swarm of memories. Memories that quickly turned sour. She didn't know why she had kept her face for so many years. Perhaps it was just too complicated to go about altering it, maybe she was just too vain. It was dangerous to keep the same face for so long, she knew that. Nick had figured out who she was.

Her disgust for that cave was great. It had come to represent everything she hated about those within it. That was why she kept the face. It was a reminder of who she used to be, and why she hated that cave, why she hated _them_. It reminded her of her drive.

Every time she looked at her reflection, it fanned the flames on her hatred. And that was what kept her alive.

Runt's legs felt like dead weight and his lungs were on fire, just like in his first dream. Now, too he was running from a strange adversary, not as faceless, but shrouded in mystery nonetheless.

He knew he was approaching the cave. The pup felt his stomach knot as he approached it. His mind kept flashing back to the traumatic experience with Nick. He would never have returned if he had a choice.

He also kept thinking about the strange wolf he had met. Something was off about her. It was like her face was a mask. The only part of her you could really see was her eyes, and they didn't fit the mask at all. The more he thought about it, the stranger she seemed to be. She seemed artificial. Not just in the way she acted but in the way she sat there. There was just some ineffable quality about her. Something just wasn't right.

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**AN:**** Well, that's another chapter down. Will Runt find answers in the cave? Will Stinky cover for him? Who is this wolf? Will I realize asking rhetorical questions isn't cool? Find out soon! **


	5. Pleasant Dreams

**AN:** **Well this is the last chapter of my second story. I wanted to thank Kyuubi99 for following and reviewing and OwenStarr for following.**

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The cave still sat ominously in the side of a small mountain. Its gaping mouth connecting its shadowy secrets to the outside world. From its bleak entrance, a sense of fear rolled out and hung in the air like smoke, ready to choke any animal unlucky enough to stray to close.

Runt had already passed through this wall. For most, it was just a nervous whisper in the back of the mind dissuading them from entering. Runt however, picked up on the strange sensation and recognized that it was not his own. Nick had said it was a defense mechanism, a way of keeping intruders out.

It failed.

For the third time after years of peace, a wolf was entering the cave. Somewhere, deep inside, something stirred in its sleep. It was a sleep unlike any the world above knew, but it could still be interrupted. In the depths, something woke up.

* * *

Runt ignored the strange sensations emanating from the cave and charged straight in. He could feel himself cross the threshold and leave the eerie feeling behind. Well, the one the cave produced. His fur stood up on end and his eyes adjusted to the dim light. This time of the day, the mountain wasn't directly facing the sun and the light leaking into the darkness didn't make it very far. All that was left to see by was the faint glow of the walls. Just seeing it made Runt feel sick.

The poor pup was tired, sore, scared, and angry. He just wanted this whole thing to end. He just wanted to go home and curl up with his family. But this was the only place that could help him, and, perhaps more importantly, give him answers.

The trouble was he didn't know what to do now. He had been hoping that, upon arriving, something miraculous would happen. But he just stood in the dark staring down the tunnel awkwardly.

_Maybe if I go back to the place where I was squirted…_ Runt's thoughts trailed off as his mind failed to come up with a scenario. However, it was the only lead he had. Once more Runt walked deeper into the cave.

Runt found it hard to determine where exactly this had all began. The cave was still pristine and lacked any landmarks. He knew it was after the fork, but how far after that was still a mystery. As he journeyed deeper and deeper, feeling the wall where the booby trap lay, he felt his exhaustion catching up with him. He had gotten barley any sleep the night before and had just made a long trip across the pack's territory, some of it in a sprint.

His eyes grew heavy and his paws felt like deadweights. Somehow, he knew that if he fell asleep, it would be the end. This dream would kill him. He tried to fight but knew he had already lost. Panic and anger gave way to deep despair as he accepted his fate. His legs buckled, and he fell into the darkness.

"Runt, it's time to get up," the voice cut into the dark, nudging the pup back to consciousness. He opened his eyes but quickly closed them. It was bright out, too bright.

* * *

"Runt, we do not have much time. Wake up," the voice said again, sounding slightly more urgent.

Runt slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the level of light. As he pried his eyelids open, he found himself in the middle of a large field. Green grass rolled in waves as the light breeze passed through them. Sitting nearby was the wolf who had been talking to him.

Her fur was a dark brown and her eyes a soft green. She was older than his parents but younger than his grandparents.

"Runt, you are a very brave pup," she said calmly.

"How do you know my name?" Runt asked.

"We are in your mind, are we not?" she replied. "You fell asleep in the cave, this is your dream. I gathered enough information to make you feel a little more comfortable."

"Who are you? What's going on with me? What is this cave?" His questions tumbled out before he could stop them.

The wolf sighed and looked at the ground. "The cave is not important," she replied, "it is what it leads to that is."

"And that is?"

"You might find that out very soon."

"Why isn't this dream trying to kill me?"

"When I entered your mind, I altered the state of your dream. You won't be hurt here, but it will only last for so long."

"It was that liquid that did this to me, wasn't it?"

The wolf smiled for the first time. "Yes, it is a deterrent. A way to scare wolves away from the cave. A wolf is killed in his dreams, and it was a cave that did it, no one would dare go near it. I am sorry that this befell you though."

"Isn't there something you could do about it?"

"There is an antidote. When you wake up, you will know where to go when you find it."

"Thank you," Runt replied, "But why save me. I mean, you put the trap there for a reason."

"You did not wish to come into the cave, it is not right that you be punished for it."

"Why did that wolf try to stop me?" Runt asked after a moment of silence.

"You are full of questions," the wolf replied.

"You haven't answered most of them," Runt countered. "Now, who was that silver wolf?"

His companion's eyes widened. "Silver wolf?" She asked.

"Yeah, she tried to stop me from getting here. She was going to kill me."

The wolf took a deep breath. "She wanted to stop exactly this from happening. When you entered the cave again, I was awoken. That wolf wants us to sleep forever. We wanted to wait until the time was right, she never wants us to remerge."

Runt was filled with questions but only chose the most important one to ask, "Why?"

Almost as if on cue, the field began to dissolve into light. The wolf seemed to be getting further and further away. As she faded into the light, she called, "We are out of time Runt. You will know where to go when you wake up. Pleasant dreams!"

* * *

Runt awoke with a start. Once again, he was in the cave. He rose to his paws and turned to look down deeper into the earth. _There_, he thought, _it's there_.

With that, Runt started walking again. Several minutes later, near the large hole where Nick had met his end, Runt stopped and turned towards the wall. Without a thought he brought his paw up and pressed it against the cool stone. He drew it back with a yelp he felt a sharp prick. He inspected his paw for damage but found none.

Whatever that was, it must have had the cure in it. Somehow, he knew that. Runt turned and looked back at the chasm. He felt his stomach churn as he remembered Nick. Maybe he wasn't the bad guy after all. Maybe he was just another victim of the cave.

The light seared into his eyes as he emerged into the bright morning. He was almost tempted to drop to the ground right there and sleep. He felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders and was just as exhausted. _I'm just gonna go home and no one will ever know._

"Runt!" his mother's voice cut through the air.

_Or not. Thanks Stinky._

"What are you thinking?" she continued, running up to him, the rest of the family close behind.

"I was uh, sleepwalking," Runt replied.

"Listen," Humphrey said as he caught up to Kate, "We understand why you came here. But you didn't have to do it alone. You could have told us."

Runt shot a glare at his brother who didn't meet his gaze.

"Come on, we can talk about this back home," Kate said, "This place still gives me the creeps."

As the group turned to make their way back, Runt ran up to Stinky and growled in his ear.

"You told them?"

"Yes, but I didn't tell them everything," he replied meekly, "I just said that you were having nightmares after the whole thing with Nick and went back to face your fears. I left out the fact that those nightmares were actually hurting you and you thought there was a cure here."

Runt tried to swallow his anger. He was glad that Stinky had left some details out, but still felt betrayed.

"What happened to covering for me? An excuse?"

"Well, I would have, but the only thing I could think of was just too unrealistic."

"What was that?"

"That you ran off to meet your girlfriend."

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**AN:**** Ah, brothers. I actually don't have any and am going of observation. Well, this is the end of the story. Stay tuned for the next one. Thank you to everyone who has read. Feel free to review!**

**Next Time****: Kate and Humphrey must investigate a series of gruesome murders in the park. Can a mysterious silver wolf help?**


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